Junior quarterback Kyle McCord (6)looking deep in the second half of No. 1 Ohio State’s 38-3 win over Michigan State Saturday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
In its only prime-time matchup Saturday night at home, the Buckeyes did not disappoint.
Chilly winds filled Ohio Stadium; however, it didn’t deter Buckeye Nation from crowding the ’Shoe nor wide receiver Mavin Harrison Jr. from making history.
The No. 1 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) football team defeated Michigan State (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) 38-3 after Harrison tied his career-high with three touchdowns against the Spartans.
The Buckeyes wasted no time attacking a bottom-tier Michigan State defense, both on the ground and in the air.
Five different players touched the ball in the first drive, including junior running back TreVeyon Henderson, graduate wide receiver Xavier Johnson and senior tight end Cade Stover.
However, Harrison would be the first one to punch the ball into the end zone on an 18-yard run just 11 minutes into the game. It would be just one of the junior’s many receptions after coming off a quiet game just a week prior, in which he caught only four passes for 25 yards.
Harrison surpassed this number just six minutes into the first quarter.
On his first catch of the game, junior quarterback Kyle McCord found his former high school teammate one-on-one against true freshman Chance Rucker.
A 26-yard over-the-shoulder catch became just one of his three touchdowns in the first half.
The Buckeye defense had again taken the field but with a different look this time. The secondary was without three of its key defensive pieces in linebacker Tommy Eichenberg along with safeties Lathan Ransom and Josh Proctor.
Despite their absence, the Buckeyes held Michigan State to only 3 points, which came off a field goal in the first half.
In his return, junior cornerback Denzel Burke registered two total tackles, including a tackle for loss. One of Burke’s biggest plays of the game came early in the first quarter on third down after tackling Spartans quarterback Katin Houser for a 2-yard loss.
The play pushed the ball back, making a 56-yard field goal from Jonathan Kim even more difficult, as the redshirt sophomore came up a few yards short.
However, the Spartans would connect on a field goal a quarter later after two runs and a 10-yard pass from Houser to redshirt junior Christian Fitzpatrick.
In replacement of Proctor, true freshman Malik Hartford would have his first start since losing the position earlier this season. The safety finished third in tackles with four solo on the night.
The remaining first-half touchdowns came from Henderson on a 9-yard run and Stover on an 18-yard catch.
The Buckeyes entered halftime up 35-3. The onslaught continued in the second, as Ohio State garnered 90 yards in the air and 80 on the ground.
Letting it Fly:
The Buckeyes let the ball fly early on.
Eight players finished the game in the receiving column, including Stover, with 79 and Johnson hauling in 31.
However, Harrison would be the recipient of most of the yards.
The Heisman Trophy candidate caught fire early on as he tied his career-high with three touchdown receptions, including a 9-yard pass to open up the second.
“It’s his world; we’re living in it,” Noah Eagle, NBC play-by-play announcer, said.
Third Down Stops:
Michigan State struggled to produce consistently throughout the game. The Spartans registered only 162 total yards while finishing the game 2-of-12 on third downs.
However, the Buckeyes did this without three key pieces in their secondary.
Sophomore cornerback Davison Igbinosun and senior linebacker Cody Simon, who filled in for the injured Eichenberg, led the team in tackles with five apiece.
The Spartans had no success finding the red zone with zero attempts.
Kyle McCord:
After throwing three interceptions over the past two games, discourse surrounded McCord’s consistency and the success the Buckeyes could have with him at the helm.
However, his performance Saturday night showed otherwise. McCord finished the game 24-of-31 with 328 total yards.
He completed six straight passes three times throughout the game after passing former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the most consecutive passes (17) Nov. 4 against Rutgers.
Perhaps most importantly, McCord had zero turnovers.
Up Next:
The Buckeyes will face Minnesota on Saturday in their last home game of the season.
Kickoff will be at 4 p.m., on Big Ten Network.
